Uncaring curiosity
by sweetsimplegirl
Summary: Max never cared about Cherry's love life but when he knows she's gonna get in trouble, his curiosity takes over or is it something else? Chex
1. Chapter 1

**I have a lot of stories started but I had to upload this one cause I was in the mood.**

**I've almost finished Sore throat so I'll upload it soon.**

Max was currently trying to watch some TV and relax but the two girls blabbering beside him made it really difficult. He had told them to go elsewhere but in vain.

"Hey, it's been a long time since we had a sleepover, how about tonight?" proposed Phoebe.

"I can't tonight, I've got a date" answered Cherry with a smitten look.

"Ooh, you didn't tell me that!" said an exited Phoebe "Does he go to our school?"

"No, actually he doesn't go to school." answered Cherry a little uneasy.

"What? He dropped out?" asked Phoebe a little shocked.

"No…umm…" started Cherry looking at the floor. "He finished high school!"

Before Phoebe could say anything, Max spoke up.

"How old is he?" he asked curiously.

The two girls looked at him as if realizing he was there. Plus it wasn't Max's type to care about Cherry's love life. Max realized his interest might sound weird to the blond but it was his curiosity that took over.

"Not that I care, I'm just curious." He felt the need to explain.

Phoebe looked at her friend expectantly, wanting to know the answer too.

"He's twenty-five!" replied the pretty girl.

"TWENTY-FIVE!" yelled both siblings.

Phoebe looked at her brother confusingly.

"For someone who's just curious, you seem to care a lot!" she told him.

Max didn't really mind her comment at the moment. Sure he didn't usually care about what happened to Cherry but that just screamed 'danger'! It was like a big red light flashing in Max's mind and he couldn't just ignore it.

"Whatever Phoebe" he said before looking at the blond. "Cherry, that guy is ten years older than you! Are you insane?"

Cherry was really surprised he actually used her name instead of 'Orange' but she was really pissed that he called her insane. Who did he think he was?

"Hey, I'm not insane! And who I date is none of your business Max!" yelled Cherry.

"Actually Cherry, for once I agree with Max. This doesn't seem look a good idea." Said a concerned Phoebe.

"You don't even know him! He's a really good guy and he actually likes me." Said a defensive Cherry.

"A good guy wouldn't go out with a girl ten years younger than him!" continued Max. "He just wanna have some fun with a young unexperienced girl who's easily impressionable whom he'll dumb like trash after he's done with whatever sick plans he has in mind!"

Cherry got up infuriated. Phoebe was just shocked about all the screaming that was going on between her brother and her best friend.

"How dare you! He is nothing like that and by the way you are the worst person to be talking about sick plans Max Thunderman!"

Max was taking back by her statement. Sure he could have some pretty bad plans in mind sometimes but nothing like that. Plus he could never hurt Cherry…he didn't understand how someone could possibly hurt her. She was as innocent as a puppy. Which was exactly what seemed dangerous about this situation.

"Maybe, but I'm telling you your dude is a sick guy and you're gonna get badly hurt. And when that happens don't come here crying as if we didn't warned you!" he yelled before heading to his room.

"Trust me, I won't!" he heard her yell back.

…

Max was fuming in his room pacing back and forth, trying to calm himself.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Dr. Colosso.

"Cherry is what's wrong with me!" answered an angry Max.

"What? Since when do you get worked up over Cherry?" asked the bunny confused.

"I don't…I mean I don't know…it's just I know she's getting herself into something bad and it annoys me for some reason." said Max.

"Looks like your super-hero side is kicking in!" replied the pet teasingly.

"Shut up Colosso!" said Max before calming himself.

"I'm sure Phoebe would never let her go on this date anyway!" he resonated himself.

He decided to occupy his mind with his latest project to forget about this whole situation.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Max headed upstairs to get some water. Entering the leaving room he only saw Phoebe sitting there looking blankly at the TV.

"Where's Cherry?" asked the boy.

"On her date." replied his sister looking at him.

That's when he noticed her eyes were a little red. She might have shedded some tears.

"WHAT?" he yelled "How could you let her go on this date?"

"I tried to resonate her but she wouldn't listen!" replied the sad girl.

"Do you know what trouble she could get into?" continued Max.

"I know Max!" screamed Phoebe "Look Cherry isn't stupid unlike what you think…let's just hope she gets to her senses."

"I don't think she's stupid no matter what I said. But I do know she can be really naïve!" he told her starting to worry for some reason. "I have to find her!"

With that he headed downstairs to try to locate her with his satellite using her cellphone number.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to the people who reviewed and follows. I really appreciate it. Here's chapter 2.**

After what seemed like forever, he finally found where she was. At a little café downtown. Without wasting time he climbed out his window and headed towards the café with his bike…good thing he recently learned how to handle this thing.

...

He finally arrived at the place after a ride way too long. He had been alone with his thoughts which revolved around what he was going to do or say, that Cherry would be pissed at him and that the guy would probably want to fight him. The problem was that he still didn't know how he was going to handle all that.

Entering the café, he looked around but Cherry was nowhere in sight. He went to ask the man at the counter.

"Excuse me sir, have you seen a blond in here, yay tall, really tiny?" he asked the guy.

"Sir, there's a lot of blond girls that come here." replied the dude.

"Okay well, I need to find this one…she…she's a teenager but she was with a guy that probably looked much older…" tried Max desperately.

"Oh yeah! I thought that was odd." Said the man remembering the couple. "They headed out like ten minutes ago."

"Do you by any chance know where they went?" asked Max hopeful.

"No, I'm sorry." said the guy giving him a sympathetic look.

Max thanked the man before heading out.

"Good luck finding her!" said the employee at Max's retreating form.

…

Max looked outside near the Café but didn't find them. They could be anywhere and sadly he did not have an app version of his satellite. Should he call her? Sure, she probably wouldn't respond but it was worth the try. In the worst case, her ringtone would at least interrupt whatever they were doing… Max stopped his train of thoughts, he did not want to consider this scenario.

He had stopped wondering why and when he had started to care so much. He just wanted to find her…he needed to found her. He picked his phone and called her, getting more worried with every single ring.

"Hello?" answered Cherry in a blank voice.

"Where are you?" he blunted out. There was a few seconds of silence before she figured who it was.

"Max?" she asked to make sure.

"Where are you?" he simply asked again. He was expecting her to start yelling at him with something along the lines of 'This is none of your business'.

"I'm at his apartment." She softly answered with a tint of nervousness. "I'm currently in the bathroom, I said I had to go when I felt my phone vibrate…I'm…Max, I'm starting to feel really uncomfortable."

"What…what happened?" he asked stuttering.

"Nothing but it's the mood set he put. With the candles and the music and the neck massage…" she explained.

Max clinched his fists before trying to calm himself.

"I'm coming to get you. Where does he live?" he asked in the most reassuring voice Cherry ever heard him use.

Once she gave him the address, he climbed back on his bike and pedaled like crazy.

…

Cherry had just hung-up when Dylan knocked on the door.

"Are you okay sweetie?" he asked impatient "You've been in there for quite a long time now!"

"Um, I have a little…stomach ache." she said. She really wasn't a good liar. "I'm just waiting until it passes…"

"Well, I'm sure I can make you feel a whole lot better…" he answered with a tone she did not like at all.

What had she got herself onto. She really was insane like Max had said…how did she not see that coming. Maybe she was too trusting or simply too dumb. Maybe that was exactly what she deserved for being so reckless but she really hoped Max would get here fast.

…

When Max arrived at the dirty building, he climbed the stairs two by two till he reached the fourth floor. He stopped at the door number Cherry gave him and knocked on it like a maniac. The dude answered and it took all Max's power not to strangle the guy.

"Who are you?" asked the pervert with a dirty look.

"Doesn't matter." answered Max between his teeth before shouting. "Cherry, I'm here! Let's go!"

Cherry came out of the bathroom and towards the door but was stopped by Dylan's arm who blocked it.

"Whoa, sweetie…you're not going anywhere!" he said as a statement. "And who is that? Your big brother came to pick you up?" he teased with a dirty smile.

Max couldn't take it anymore. He could have easily used his power to get the arm out of the way but it just seemed too harmless. He grasped the dude's forearm instead and tightened until he collapsed on the floor from the pressure as he yelped in pain.

"Come on Cherry." Max said taking her by the hand and out of the apartment. "Let's get out of here!"

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	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone who reads, review, favorite and follows my story. It really mean a lot!**

They had been walking for a while now but Max hadn't let go of her hand yet. When he thought they were far enough from the guy's apartment, he spotted a bench and took a seat, making Cherry sit as well. Just then did he release his hold on her. He sighed loudly numerous times as a thick silence filled the air. Cherry knew he was trying to calm himself and was really scared of what might come out once he opened his mouth. She decided to talk first…might as well get this over with.

"Thank you!" she nervously told him.

He turned his head to look at her before taking a big breath. He looked her up and down and frowned.

"Did you have to wear this?" he screamed. She was wearing a tight silk navy blue dress. Man she looked beautiful in it but he wasn't about to tell her that. She opened her mouth to retaliate but he didn't gave her the chance…he had a lot of things to tell her and she was going to listen.

"And what were you thinking going to his apartment alone…what? Did you think you were gonna play a board game or something? And if you started to feel uncomfortable, why didn't you get out of there? Or why didn't you call me?" he stopped talking reflecting upon his words. From any outsider that sentence would have sounded like it was coming from a caring boyfriend.

"Or Phoebe at least!" he said knowing that he probably would have been the last person she'd have called.

Cherry waited a moment to make sure he was done. When she was sure he would let her respond, she started talking.

"I thought he was going to drop me off but he went to his apartment instead. He had something he wanted to show me apparently. And when I started to feel uncomfortable I couldn't just get out since I didn't have any transport…he had picked me up at our neighborhood park. And I couldn't call my parents because they didn't know about my date…they thought I was at your place." She said sheepishly.

"And I couldn't call Phoebe or you because…because you had expressly told me not to come crying to you guys if something went bad." She told him looking at the ground. He did tell her that but she was really thankful he still checked up on her.

Max put his head in his hands, closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"I never meant it Cherry! I was really angry and just wanted to convince you that this was a bad idea." He replied more calmly.

"You were right!" she said with a sad laugh. "Go ahead…say it! Say what you're dying to say." She continued expecting a big 'I told you so.'

Max looked up at her and right in the eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked her instead.

Cherry was taking back by his concern. That's when she cracked.

"No." she said shaking her head as she started sobbing.

Max was never good with consoling people, especially crying girls. But he knew he couldn't just sit there watching her cry. So after a few uneasy seconds, he engulfed her in a hug and let her cry on his chest until her sobs finally ceased.

"I'm sorry." She said once she stopped crying and got out of his embrace. "It's just that I'm deceived at him but mostly at me…you were right, I'm so dumb that I didn't even see what I was getting myself into." She said sadly.

Max sighed again and with his thumb, dried a tear that was sliding down her cheek.

"You're not dumb…you're too trusting! You're genuinely so nice that I guess you expect everyone to be as nice." he said shrugging.

"Yeah well, I find it deeply sad that trusting people has become a bad thing…it shouldn't be like that! Why does some people even wanna hurt others…I'll never get persons like that." Said Cherry sad.

Max felt something unusual at that moment. Guilt…just a little bit of guilt...over being a troublemaker and wanting to be a villain…but he quickly shook the feeling off and carried on with the real matter.

"So, should I bring you home?" Max proposed.

"Um…I know I should eventually tell my parents but I don't think I can face them right now!"

"Okay, I guess you could come sleep at our place tonight. At least that way, you will not have lied to your parents." Said Max before taking her hand and pulling her up.

"Thanks." She said with a small smile once she was on her feet. "For everything."

Max just nodded as response and they got on his bike. On the ride back, while Cherry was holding Max's waist so close she could almost lean on his back, she promised herself she would make wise choices from now on when it would come to dating. She would find someone who would take care of her and respect her. Someone who would protect her just like Max did.

**That was chapter 3!**

**I hope you liked it.**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you everyone who reviewed it's really appreciated! **

**Hope you like this chapter!**

They had just arrived at the Thunderman's and made their way through the front door. The whole family was watching TV in the living room and were all very surprised to see Max entering followed closely by Cherry. Max looked at Cherry who seemed really uneasy. He figured she didn't know what to say, she probably didn't feel like explaining anything right now. He looked back at his family and finally broke the silence.

"Um, there Phoebe…I picked Cherry up just like you asked me too!" he said giving a look at his sister encouraging her to play along.

Phoebe was so relieved to see her best friend standing there and looking alright but she got the message Max was sending her so she hid her surprise.

"Um, yeah, thanks Max!" she started. "Mom, dad I forgot to ask you if Cherry could spend the night…is it okay?"

"Um, sure honey." answered Barbara suspicious, Phoebe was not the type to forget to ask something like that. "Um, quick question…Cherry why are you all dressed up? Oh and why did Max went to pick you?"

"Uh, I'm all dressed up because…Phoebe and I are going to do a shooting photo!" she said trying to be as convincing as she could be.

"Yeah, and I went to pick her up because Phoebe begged me too. Cherry didn't have any transport and Phoebe didn't want her to walk alone at night." Said Max nonchalantly.

"Well, I'm glad! It's definitely not safe for a girl to walk alone at night, especially dressed like that!" said Hank. "You probably saved Cherry a lot of trouble tonight Max!"

"He definitely did!" whispered Cherry so that only Max heard her.

"Come on Cherry, let's go to my room…to do that photo shoot!" said Phoebe anxious to know what happened tonight.

Cherry gave one last look at Max and smiled a bit as another thank you before following her best friend.

Max watched her retreating form as she climbed the stairs before he headed himself towards his lair.

Barbara looked back and forth between the two and knew something was up. And she was going to find out what.

…

As Max arrived in his room, he was immediately questioned by Dr. Colosso.

"So…did you found her?" asked the bunny.

"Yep…she's upstairs in Phoebe's room…safe and sound." He said crashing into his bed.

"You must be relieved. I had never seen you getting so agitated over a girl before…what's the deal with this one anyway?" asked Colosso.

"Honestly Colosso…I have no idea!" said Max staring blankly at his ceiling. "I didn't even thought I cared about her before tonight. But when I pictured her in trouble, I just had to do something…and when I saw her in that dirty apartment with a perv…I…it was like a delicate flower who fell into mud…she seemed so out of scenery." Said Max thinking out loud.

"How's the guy? Still in one piece?" asked the once villain.

"Yeah…it was not easy but I managed to get out of there without causing any permanent damage." responded the handsome boy. "Cherry wouldn't have liked that!"

"Man, you are in way over your head!" said the bunny. "Now she's even influencing the things you do!"

Max thought about it for a while…and all he could reply was:

"Shut up Colosso!"

…

The girls were sitting on Phoebe's bed. Cherry was looking at her nails trying to find the right words to explain her night to her friend. She was getting used to embarrassment because she was really clumsy and not the brightest girl but that was another story. She wanted the floor to swallow her…at least that way she wouldn't get herself in more trouble.

Phoebe was not saying a word. She understood Cherry needed to take her time before she opened up and she respected that. Cherry could take all the time she needed, Phoebe would be waiting patiently…cause sometimes that's all a friend needs.

"Um…you were right." Started cherry still looking down. "I'm sorry I did not listen to you guys!" she continued her voice cracking.

Phoebe still didn't speak, she didn't have too. She just took her best friend in her arms and let her sob once again. Once she released her, she softly spoke.

"It's okay…I'm just glad you're fine!" she said handing her a tissue.

"I am…thanks to your brother!" said the pretty blond with a sad smile.

"Yeah…thanks to him!" said Phoebe thinking it was rather unusual from Max to do such a chivalrous action. But she hadn't failed to see the way he had looked at Cherry when they got home. He wanted to protect her at all cost…but he hadn't realized that before tonight.

A lot of things were going to be different from now on, of that Phoebe was convinced.

**Did you like this chapter and where the story is heading?**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to everyone who reads my story, I am really grateful. But thanks mostly at the ones who reviewed which are: ****Guest, Patricia Starara and sanaa11. Hope you all like this chapter!**

Cherry was lying in bed, her eyes wide open. Phoebe was sound asleep, snoring beside her. She had told her friend every single detail of her night to which the brunette responded like an audience in a TV show with ohhs and ahhs. But she also cried with her when needed too.

She was glad she had such a great friend who would just listen and comfort her even if she did something really stupid and reckless. But right now she was thinking about another friend of hers, someone she never really saw as a friend before. But he did save her from a lot of trouble tonight so maybe they were kind of friends after all. No matter what they labelled themselves, the well-built teenage boy downstairs was kipping her from sleeping at the moment.

Cherry turned on her side for the umpteenth time. She wished she could just shut her brain off. Sure in algebra class, when there's a test coming up she falls asleep in a heartbeat but when it's the right time to sleep…nothing! Once the pretty blond had enough, she decided to go grab a glass of water instead of rolling from side to side.

She got up and discreetly made her way down the stairs careful not to make them crack too much. It was dark inside the Thunderman's residence with only the moonlight piercing through to windows to guide her steps. She made it to the kitchen remembering they kept their water in a pitcher in the fridge.

The second she opened the door, she heard from behind her: 'Hi there!'. She shrieked in surprise before she felt a hand on her mouth. Looking beside her she saw who was attached to that hand. Max released her mouth when he felt her relax.

"You scared me!" whispered Cherry.

"Sorry." replied Max amused. "Couldn't sleep eh?"

"Nope…too much going on in that little brain." She said pointing to her head. "Surprising eh!" she added as an afterthought. Being used to those kinds of jokes directed at her, she had learned to laugh at herself.

Max frowned. His beautiful brown eyes looking intensely at her with seriousness. They seemed to be glowing in the dark or was that just the light of the fridge reflecting in them?

"No it's not. I know there's a lot going on in there." He murmured while brushing a strand of hair off her face. The gesture made Cherry shiver but she blamed it on the cold air emanating from the refrigerator.

"Um anyway…why are you up?" asked Cherry finally taking the pitcher and pouring herself a glass. She then sat down at the table and Max followed her action.

"I was angry…I can't sleep when I'm angry!" said the hottie shrugging.

"Why are you angry?" asked Cherry confused.

Max looked at her with an unreadable look.

"Seriously? You don't know?" asked Max bewildered.

Cherry simply shook her head as an answer.

"I'm surprised you're not angry!" he continued.

"Why would I be angry?" asked Cherry still not understanding where Max was going with this.

"Why would you be angry? Oh I don't know maybe because a perv planned to get a taste of you tonight!" answered Max half-yelling, half whispering.

Cherry felt her cheek burning as she immediately looked at the floor. How could he be talking about such an intimate thing like that?

"I never would have gone through with it you know." She said uneasy still looking down.

"What were you planning to do if I had not shown up?" Max asked softening his tone after having heard her shaky voice.

"I would have said no!" she murmured close to tears once again.

Max closed his eyes for a brief moment. That girl didn't belong in the real world. She belonged in a 1950's show where holding hands was considered a huge step and where a young man would ask a father's permission to date his daughter.

Putting two fingers below her chin, Max made her look up felling a twinge in his chest at the sight of her watery eyes.

"Cherry…a man doesn't take no for an answer. When one wants a beautiful girl by his side for the night, he just goes for it." He said not moving his fingers from under her chin.

"But you wouldn't." she said with a mix of certainty and hope.

Max was caught off guard at her statement and took his fingers back. Blinking a couple of times he slowly answered.

"I…no…of course not! But that's because I…" he almost said it. He almost said it was because he cared about her…but he could not…he did not!

"Because you're a good guy!" finished Cherry with a small smile.

Max was taking back by that. Him? A good guy?

"Please stay that way, us damsels in distress still need those brave gentlemen!" added the petite girl before getting up.

"Well, good night Max!" she said giving him a peck on the cheek.

It had been an automatism…something she did with her parents every time she said goodnight. But she didn't mean to do that to Max! Realizing what she had done, she quickly exited the kitchen and rushed upstairs as fast as she could without making noise.

Max stayed there for a while after she was gone pondering upon her words that kept replaying through his mind over and over again. He wasn't a good guy…he was a villain. Thinking about it, he realized that most villains, if not all of them, would have no shame in taking advantage of an innocent girl…but the fact that he would never do that or scar for life anyone did not mean he wasn't caught up to be a villain, right? At the moment, he would just let that slide. He needed some rest but it was not going to be easy to fall asleep…the peck Cherry gave him had made his heartbeat quicken as if he had run a marathon….that also didn't mean anything, did it?

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**Do you like where this is going and how the characters are developing?**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to everyone who reads and review!**

The next day Max woke up with a delicious smell of pancakes. He didn't sleep well with all that was going on in his mind but if something could make him get off bed, it was pancakes! Once he entered the kitchen, Barbara greeted him.

"Hi honey! Breakfast will be ready soon. Cherry's still asleep, could you wake her up for me?" asked Barb paying close intention to her son's reaction.

"Why…why me?" he asked getting a bit nervous at the idea of waking the blond up.

"Because, I'm busy making breakfast, Billy and Nora are playing with Chloe in the backyard, your dad is watching them and Phoebe is in the shower." She explained, then looking at him from the corner of her eyes she asked, "Why? Do you have a problem with Cherry?"

"No, no of course not…I'll go wake her." Said the cute boy who tried not to stutter.

Once he was upstairs, he made his way into Phoebe's bedroom. That last time he was in there with Cherry, he was hidden in a giant teddy bear…that same night Cherry had thought he was asking her out but instead of going along with it he had shut the door right in her face…now that he thought about it, that was a really stupid move…Cherry was gorgeous no matter what he tried to tell himself and a lot of guys would have jumped at the chance.

He finally entered the room and saw her lying on Phoebe's bed…she didn't have her pj's so she just borrowed one of Phoebe's old and large shirt. It covered everything there had to be covered but he saw more legs than he intended too. As he was desperately trying to look away, he bended down over her and gently shook her arm.

"Cherry, wake up!" he said still shaking her. After he few attempts, he realized she was a really sound sleeper. Then an idea struck him. Before he could fight the urge, he looked around and aimed for her lips. He put his mouth on hers softly and felt electricity throughout his body. He felt her move and had to pray his lips away from her perfect pink ones just in time to see her eyes open and widen.

"Max!" she said suddenly wide awake and standing up. "What are you doing here?" she asked feeling her lips tickle for some reason.

"My mom asked me to wake you up." He explained with a look Cherry didn't quite understand.

"Oh…well thank you. Tell her I'm coming down." She said uneasy under his intense stare.

"Okay" he murmured almost inaudibly.

Once he got out of the room and heard her close the door, he started to realize what he had just done. He wanted to smack himself for being so stupid. Why did he kiss her? Why would he do such a thing? Sure she looked so beautiful lying there looking all innocent but he shouldn't have done that. He wanted to strangle a guy just yesterday for even thinking about touching her and there he was taking advantage of her while she was asleep!

He could never let that happen again. With that in mind he made his way downstairs hoping no one would suspect what had happened a few minutes ago.

**I know this chapter is short, sorry!**

**Hope you liked it though.**

**Please review!**


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